Arrival
by aVyx
Summary: Graystripe is old and feeble. When leaf-bare sickness rages through ThunderClan, it takes the ancient warrior up to StarClan. There, he finds a warm welcome and Silverstream to greet him. But where is his other mate? What could she be doing? Rated T for violence/I'm paranoid. (Not a one-shot because you're all clamoring for an update. :3)
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed my stories! Every review is appreciated. So here's a new one-shot, which was a welcome break from writing a million romantic ones. This one was suggested by a friend of mine- "Hey, what would happen if Graystripe went to StarClan and met Millie and Silverstream there?" Enjoy!**

* * *

It was almost sunset, and Graystripe lay dying in the center of the ThunderClan camp. He coughed miserably. Nearby, Jayfeather sat neatly, tail curled around his paws as he listened to the slowly weakening coughs.

Sickness had taken the old warrior's body. A fierce leaf-bare greencough invasion had left the Clan shaken, taking two warriors and now Firestar's best friend.

The ginger tom stood nearby, looking away. They had been the best of friends for as long as any cat could remember, and now that one was about to leave, the other simply couldn't face it.

The rest of the Clan was keeping a respectable distance from the dying warrior. Only their leader stood hardly a mouse-length from him.

The sun began to set. Fire ripped the sky as the sun bled, and the first warriors of Silverpelt soon began to appear. The sky-flame faded, replaced by the gray sky of nightfall, growing steadily darker. A kit hovered by its mother, whispering, "Will Graystripe be in the sky tonight?"

Jayfeather knew the tom would be dead soon. His coughs had grown so weak they could hardly be heard. His breaths were weak and airless.

The medicine cat raised his head, looking blindly at Firestar. The ginger tom looked back at him.

Firestar stood up. Graystripe blinked a few times, looking at his friend. "Fire…star," he coughed. "I-"

He was cut off by the worst coughing fit he'd had yet. It seemed to stretch on for eternity, yet it could only have lasted a few moments. He finally let out one last cough and fell still.

Jayfeather stood as well. "He is gone."

Firestar raised his head. "Though his body has died, his spirit lives on all around us and in us. Let us not forget him."

As one, the cats let out a long yowl and shuffled closer to the fallen warrior, pressing against him as Jayfeather turned away, headed to his den. Firestar bent down, whispering to the dead tom. "I'll see you soon," he vowed quietly, settling next to his friend.

* * *

Graystripe awoke in a clearing. Trees hovered at its edges. "Hello?" he called.

There was a rustling noise, and a beautiful starry she-cat appeared. "Graystripe!" she called, running towards him.

"Silverstream!" he yowled, running forward to greet her. He nuzzled his mate, purring, the pretty she-cat doing the same. "I missed you," he murmured.

"I missed you too," she whispered in reply.

They lifted their heads, having picked up a nearby sound. It was very loud and careless; someone was obviously crashing through the forest towards them. A moment later, a star-pelted she-cat tumbled into the clearing. She had died of the same sickness that had taken Graystripe, and it took the latter a heartbeat to recognize her.

"Millie!"

Millie's star-specked fur was bristling. "Graystripe! I knew you'd had a mate before, but I thought you would choose me! How can you be here with two mates? I know you love us both!" she snarled.

Graystripe stumbled back, spluttering. "I-I, Millie, I-"

"Quiet, furball! I know you'll choose her!" Millie growled wildly, leaping at Graystripe. Silverstream's eyes widened. "Calm down, you two!" she yowled, dashing at them.

The three turned into a writhing ball of starry cats that rolled into the forest. Shrieks and yowls filled the forest as the three tumbled through the trees. Finally, they ceased; Silverstream was panting, a few fox-lengths away from the other two. Millie was standing over Graystripe, staring into his wide yellow eyes, one paw held over his throat. "I know you'll betray me!" she shrieked.

Silverstream screamed, throwing herself across the distance. But it was too late; with a vicious swipe of Millie's paw, Graystripe died for the second- and last- time.


	2. Sequel

**AN: Hello all! I noticed this actually has two followers and you guys seem to be clamoring for a sequel, so I made you this! I hope you like it. Be sure to review c:**

**Oh, and, fun fact: when I put this in the doc manager, I titled it "Arrival 2: The Second One." Seem familiar? *cough***

* * *

Silverstream screamed. "GRAYSTRIPE!"

Leaping at Millie, the silver tabby knocked her over and wrestled her to the edge of the clearing, writhing and shrieking.

"YOU-KILLED-MY-MATE!" she roared as Millie let out a loud yowl, clawing at Silverstream's belly. Silverstream screamed again and fought harder, digging her claws into Millie's neck, ripping fiercely at the spirit's throat.

"HE-WAS-MINE-FIRST!" she howled, continuing to slice into Silverstream's fur. Silverstream, knowing she had no other choice, gave up her onslaught and rolled to the side a few times, quickly standing up, but stumbling momentarily. Millie, snarling and spitting, got to her paws, stars seeming to gush out of her neck.

"Y-you will never win! Only w-when you are d-dead again will I have m-my peace and v-victory!" she thundered, hacking up blood as she sprinted towards Silverstream.

"No! Millie! Stop! Listen to me!"

Millie kept running.

"STOP, MILLIE!"

With a loud crash, Millie rammed into Silverstream, the two falling into a bush and flailing wildly, one to kill, one to live.

"MIIIIIIILLLLLLLLIEEEEEEEEEE!" Silverstream howled. "LISTEN TO ME!"

With a great heave, Silverstream threw Millie off. Millie landed in the clearing, shocked and still coughing and bleeding spirit-blood. Standing, Silverstream struggled over to her, also gushing stars from her belly.

"M-Millie, listen."

"What is it, mouse-dung? What do you want?" Millie rasped, curled up on the ground like a kit.

"G-Graystripe loved us both. You know he did-"

Silverstream was briefly broken off by a loud cough. Continuing, she mewed, "The three of us could have been happy together in StarClan. I was waiting ages for him. You hardly had to wait a moon."

Taking a step closer to Millie, she looked into the tabby's eyes, pleading. "Why did you kill him?"

Millie seemed to curl up a little more, hesitating before whispering, "Because…because I hate him. At first I loved him, I was over the moon about him, but then I learned he had someone else before, someone to come to first when he died, and I began to hate him, knowing he would choose you over me, Silverstream. I hate him. He betrayed us both: me by taking a mate before I came, you for falling in love with me. I'm…sorry."

Silverstream's eyes shimmered with sadness. "I…I didn't know."

"N-no one did," Millie hissed, hacking up very little spirit-blood.

"No one kn-knew, Silverstream. I'm…sad…I chose to k-kill him, now. But…if I'm g-going to die again…."

"Yes?" Silverstream murmured, bending her head down, looking at Millie's closed eyes.

"I'll take you with me."

With a fierce yowl, the she-cat opened her eyes and lunged up, tackling Silverstream, and biting deep into her starry neck. After a few heartbeats, Silverstream's rapid breathing ceased, and Millie closed her eyes again, letting go and slowly falling to the ground beside her.

"G-goodbye…."

* * *

Firestar ran elatedly through the forest, ginger fur shining almost as brightly as his eyes. _Graystripe! I'll see him again!_

The old tom had died of his age, peacefully exiting life in his sleep, and was now awake in StarClan, ready to find his old friend, already imagining the blissful reunion.

"Graystripe? Graystripe!" he called as he stumbled through some trees. "GRAYSTRIIIPE!"

He stopped dead in his tracks at the edge of a small clearing. He slowly took a few pawsteps, then burst into a small run, stopping again beside his friend's starry body. He slowly crumpled to the ground, letting out a long wail.

It was a while before he finished and could speak.

"G-Graystripe…why? Why'd you have to go just when I could see you again?"

He raised his head, looking at the other two cats in the clearing: Millie and Silverstream, both of whom had puddles of stars around them.

_He lost both his mates and his afterlife…!_

He rested his head on Graystripe's belly. _I am sorry, old friend. I will stay with you._

_I will stay with you forever._

* * *

**AN: Just an extra bit: I like to think that dead cats can kill each other and when they do they bleed stars.**

**Who wouldn't want to bleed stars?**


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